1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to buoy sticks. More particularly, the present invention relates to buoy sticks used to retain buoys and that have means for retaining a rope to the stick, either directly or indirectly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buoys are used as floating markers to notify fishermen, casual boaters, commercial shippers, marine researchers, etc. of the position of a linkage device in water. The linkage device connects the buoy (a location marker, weather buoy, navigational buoy, etc.) to something that is below the water surface such as, for example, a fishing gillnet, a chain, or a rope that has a distal end connected to some other structure. That other structure may be any one of a wide array of structures located underwater that is of interest to be observed or retrieved. One example of such another structure is a lobster trap. Other such structures include the anchors or weights used to keep weather buoys and navigational buoys in a range of positions.
It is a fairly common practice in fixed-fishing gear fields, such as the lobstering business, for example, to connect a plurality of structures, e.g., lobster traps, to a single marker buoy. That connection may be made by way of a set of ropes in series, with the last one being coupled directly to the buoy. Alternatively, two buoys may be spaced apart from one another, with a series of underwater structures connected together by rope, the first tied to one of the two buoys and the last in the series tied to the other buoy. The linkage or connecting device may be a unitary structure with an eyelet or opening through which the rope (or chain, etc.) passes and to which the rope may be tied. Alternatively, the rope or chain may be wrapped around the linkage device and coupled to a floating structure. In either case, it is of great desire to ensure that the rope or chain remains firmly connected to the floating device. For a lobster trap, it is of interest to keep a rope connected to its corresponding marker buoy so that the trap may be retrieved from the seabed by pulling on the rope. If the rope is not securely fastened to the buoy, the trap and its contents may be irretrievably lost.
Presently, lobster buoys are coupled to the ropes of one or more traps using marker buoys. The buoy may simply be a float or a float in combination with a stick having identifying markings, such as painted designs, flags, or the like, extending from the water surface. The marker stick may be fabricated of wood, plastic or metal, although plastic is increasingly preferred. The opposing end of the stick includes an eyelet to which either the rope is tied or to which an intermediate coupling is connected. The rope is then tied to that intermediate coupling, which may be a swivel coupling. The buoy includes a through hole into which the buoy stick is inserted. When in position, the buoy may rest on the eyelet of the stick. Alternatively, a sleeve of selectable length may be positioned between the eyelet and the bottom of the buoy to set the position of the buoy with respect to the top of the stick.
The buoy sticks currently available are unitary pieces terminating in the eyelet at the bottom. It can be difficult to remove the rope or the coupling from the eyelet for replacement after it has been placed in service. For that reason, some lobstermen custom build flap closure sticks. The flap closure stick includes the main stick body made of hollow PVC pipe. A form of eyelet is established at the base of the hollow stick by bending a flap closure piece. That is, a portion of the eyelet extends up next to the main next body some distance. The extended portion is attached to the main body only at the bottom in the area of the eyelet. The remainder of the flap is not coupled directly to the main body but is spaced closely and tightly to the main body.
The extended portion is a flap that may be forced open to accept a looped rope between the flap and the main stick body. The loop is passed down between the flap and the stick body until it reaches the eyelet where it resides. The flap then springs back in tight association with the main stick body. As a result, the flap captures the rope loop on the eyelet. However, when the rope is to be removed, the flap may be pulled outwardly and the loop slid off the loop and therefore off the stick. That process is much easier and faster than attempting to untie the rope. It also saves rope in that the loop does not have to be cut to remove it quickly from the stick eyelet.
Unfortunately, these homemade flap sticks are made of hollow pieces and therefore fracture under common use conditions. Moreover, under some operational conditions, the rope loop may force the flap open. The loop may then exit the eyelet and pull off the flap. Further, the process of making these flap sticks can be time consuming for the lobsterman and the resultant sticks may vary in size and quality. Therefore, what is needed is a buoy stick that enables easier insertion into and removal of a connecting rope or intermediate coupling on the eyelet. What is also needed is a modified buoy stick including such an easier stick opening means that withstands the operational conditions expected for a buoy stick employed in the ocean. What is also needed is such a modified buoy stick that may be made with consistent characteristics and not requiring homemade modifications.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a buoy stick that includes a modified extension to improve insertion and removal of a rope or intermediate coupling into or out of the stick""s eyelet. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modified buoy stick with extension that may be opened by the user when desired but that does not succumb to undesired opening under operational conditions. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a modified buoy stick that may be made in a uniform manner using conventional commercial fabrication techniques.
These and other objects are achieved with the present invention, which is a bottom loop buoy stick including a primary stick body and a single structure having an upper substantially solid region and a lower split region. The split region terminates in an eyelet for retaining a rope or coupling that is in turn connected to the rope. The length of the upper region is selectable as a function of the particular overall length of the stick desired, such as a 24xe2x80x3, 30xe2x80x3, 36xe2x80x3, or 48xe2x80x3 stick. Although the lower split region may also be of selectable length, for manufacturing purposes it is preferably of a standard length.
The split region of the stick includes a fixed section associated with the upper region, and a flap section that may be forcibly pulled away from the fixed section. The fixed section and the flap section include in combination means for fixing their positions with respect to one another when the stick is in a static condition. That means may be a tongue-in-groove arrangement. Since the fixed section and the flap section together form the eyelet, the flap is in tension when pulled away from the fixed section. It therefore retains the rope or coupling in the eyelet unless intentionally pulled away from the fixed section. In order to ensure that the flap remains in a closure position under conditions of use, the fixed section and the flap section include securing means that encircles both structures. The securing means may be a grommet placed about the perimeter of the stick and held in place with one or more tabs that may be formed as part of the stick.
The modified stick of the present invention is preferably made of a nonmetallic material such as Delrin(trademark), nylon, polyethylene, or other material suitable to withstand a marine environment for extended periods of time. The material selected preferably has xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d so that the flap returns to its manufactured position with respect to the fixed section after being pulled outwardly to accept or remove a rope loop or an intermediate coupling. The use of a securing means ensures that the flap will be unintentionally drawn away from the fixed section so as to dislodge the rope from the stick and its buoy.